It’s the day a seven-figure purse meets a seventh-heaven track, and as far as horse racing at Del Mar goes, there is no event bigger than this Sunday’s Pacific Classic.

But there should be.

The Classic is California’s only $1 million race, and in its 22-year existence, has established itself as Southern California’s premier thoroughbred event.

But it shouldn’t be.

Grand as the Pacific Classic may be, it isn’t the Granddaddy. It is but one of many patrons in the king’s court.

No, what Del Mar needs, what Del Mar deserves, is the Breeders’ Cup. A Triple Crown race will never come to town, but racing’s crown jewel would fit quite nicely.

“If I were the Breeders’ Cup, I’d sure want to come here,” said Joe Harper, president of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. “I think what the Breeders’ Cup is realizing is that — it’s not just about racing. It’s about creating an ambiance around the whole deal.”

He was instrumental in giving Del Mar that stakes-meets-socialites vibe that consistently attracts fans who care nothing about jockeys or maidens. And whether it’s that game-show-host hair or steadfast smile, you get the feeling he’s an expert at keeping boredom at bay.

But Harper also knows racing — and he knows how the Pacific Classic’s prestige validates a track that might otherwise be dismissed as a seven-week party occasionally interrupted by horses. Instead, Del Mar is like the TV show that has the ratings and the Emmys, because on Sunday, as Harper said, “silicone and spandex will take a backseat to racing.”

And why wouldn’t it?

Whether it was former Del Mar Chairman John C. Mabee’s horse Best Pal winning the inaugural Classic in 1991, or Dare and Go halting Cigar’s bid to break Citation’s win record in ’96, or jockey Julie Krone riding Candy Ride to a sub-2 minute finish in ’03, the event’s performances are generally commensurate with its purse.

Now just imagine that excitement times 15.

A couple months ago, Harper and some colleagues made a presentation to the Breeders’ Cup site-selection committee demonstrating why Del Mar would be an ideal host for the greatest two days in racing. He discussed the atmosphere his track could create, the number of 5-star hotels within 20 miles of the facility, and the amenities that blended style and substance in a way other tracks could not.

And he’s absolutely correct in all of it.

The Breeders’ Cup — which consists of 15 $1 million-plus races spread over two days — could be to San Diego what the Rose Bowl is to Los Angeles. In late October/early November, when most the country is gambling on the weather like it’s a filly in the ninth, America’s Finest City is flexing its 72-degree biceps.

This wouldn’t be like Toronto in 1996, when a blizzard hit town just hours after the races wrapped up. As horse owner Arnold Zetcher said, “whenever you can neutralize the outside factors, that’s a major plus.”

That’s part of the reason the Breeders’ Cup will have had three straight races at Santa Anita come 2014, because the sun tends to be just as extroverted 100 miles north. But what Santa Anita has in Fahrenheit, it lacks in flair.

That track can’t provide the ocean background or social setting that you’ll find at Del Mar. It won’t surround you with the equally breathtaking scenery covered in dresses and wide-brimmed hats.

And given its separation from L.A., a Del Mar Breeders’ Cup wouldn’t be a thing in town, it would be the thing.

“It would be such a festive atmosphere. I think it would be great,” said trainer Doug O’Neill, whose horse I’ll Have Another won the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. “And I think it would validate Del Mar and put it at the forefront where it belongs.”

Del Mar isn’t eligible for the Breeders’ Cup until 2015, and given how it still needs to widen the turf course, and how Southern California will have hosted the event for three straight years, getting it by then may be an unreasonable expectation. But it shouldn’t be long.